How Much Money Do Top TikTok Influencers Make?

TikTok’s biggest influencers are raking in some serious cash. According to a recent report, the top TikTok earners made an average of $5 million last year.

This is a huge increase from 2019 when the top TikTok earners only made an average of $3 million. So what’s driving this growth?

Well, Tik Tok has become insanely popular over the past year, and with that popularity has come a surge in advertising and sponsorship opportunities. TikTok influencers are able to command high fees because they have such a large and engaged audience.

So if you’re thinking of becoming a Tik Tok influencer, there’s never been a better time. Just be prepared to work hard and hustle for those big paydays.

TikTok brought in a new generation of influencers However, TikTok is not the only way to make money for creators.

YouTube has an established ads program in which it shares a portion of ad revenues with qualified users. TikTok, however, has just begun experimenting and splitting dollars with some of its influential users.

There are many built-in monetization tools, such as virtual “gifts” and a Creator Fond to pay users who have at least 10,000 followers or 100,000 views within a 30-day period. 

A subscriber program has been introduced by the company to some of its live streamers.

How much can TikTokers make using the Creator Fund and other features for in-app monetization?

Some TikTokers said that although Creator Fund payments don’t depend on views, they have been calculated to pay out videos for a few pennies per thousand plays. 

MrBeast and Hank Green, top TikTok creators, have spoken out regarding the low payouts. Green revealed in a January YouTube video how he was paid $0.02 to $0.03 per thousand TikTok views.

Preston Seo is a personal finance expert who has over 2.3 million TikTok users. He earned about $1,664 in Creator Fund earnings between January 2021 and May 2021. On average, his TikTok account makes $9 to $38 per day. 

TikTok creators don’t have to use the Creator Fund as their only tool for in-app monetization.

TikTok can also make money from receiving virtual gifts during live streams. These virtual gifts can be converted to cash. Lucy Davis, an ASMR content creator, claims that she makes between $20 and $300 every time she goes live. The company has recently begun testing the gifts feature in other areas of the app.

Jakey Boehm is an Australian creator who streams live on TikTok while sleeping. He earned $34,000 in TikTok Live within a single month.

He claims it was “life-changing money… I made $5,000 the first week, and that’s when I realized, ‘This is big. I can do something really crazy here.”

TikTok creators earn money from brand sponsorships

Creator Fund payments are not enough to pay the bills so many influencers look to brands for money on TikTok. The rates for sponsored posts can vary depending on the creator’s followers and content niche.

Symphony Clarke, a TikTok creator based in Atlanta, often charges between $350 to $600 per sponsored post.

Alex Ojeda has around 8,000,000 TikTok users and a starting rate for a sponsored YouTube video.

TikTok influencers also make money by creating content for brands to use on their TikTok accounts. 

Salha Aziz, a fitness creator, charges hundreds of dollars for UGC content that brands can use in their marketing campaigns.

How much do the top TikTok influencers make from brand deals:

• Alex Ojeda, who has over 8 million followers, shares his sponsored content rates for his water-park-themed videos
• Erin Confortini, a personal finance influencer with around 187,000 followers, lists her earnings from brand deals and UGC.
• Jalynbaiden (with approximately 20,000 followers) – A TikTok nano influencer, charges around $1,000 per sponsored post
• Tejas Hulur (around 593,000 subscribers) stated that his fee for a sponsored TikTok posting starts at $3,000
• Salha Aziz (about 6,400 followers) charges brands $160 for a single video

How TikTok’s song promotion strategy helps influencers earn money

Promoting songs in videos is one of the best ways to make money as a TikToker. Record labels and music marketers often pay TikTok users for posting on the app to promote a track.

TikTok creators Nicole, Natalie, and Nika Taylor have more than 11 million users on the app and claim that they charge $750 for each promotion of a song in a video, $1400 for two videos, and $2,000 for three videos.

Rates are less variable for micro-influencers who have fewer followers, as they can be as low as $20 to $150.

Who are TikTok’s Top Earning Influencers?

There are millions of creators on the TikTok social media platform but only a small percentage have grown enough of a following to earn millions of dollars. Here are the top earning 10 influencers on TikTik right now:

1. Charlie D’Amelio

$105,770 per post 142.4 million followers

$20 Million Net Worth

The 18-year-old takes the title of TikTok’s most followed user. Charlie D’Amelio became famous for her dance videos and has secured many brand partnerships including Invisalign and Morphe cosmetics as well as Dunkin’ Donuts and her own Hulu Series called The D’Amelio Show.

2. Khabane Lame

$92,270 per post

143.2 Million Followers

$5 Million Net Worth

Khaby Lame, with more than 143 million followers, has the largest TikTok follower count as of June 2022. The 22-year-old Senegalese-born social media celebrity is well-known for his TikTok videos, where he makes fun of life’s complicated routines and simple life hacks. Hugo Boss has forged some very high-profile partnerships, including with prominent footballers and brands such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Xbox, and Hugo Boss.

3. Bella Poarch

$66,829 per post

90.1 Million Followers

$2 Million Net Worth

Bella is a Filipino-American singer and social media personality. After creating TikTok’s most popular video, in which she lip-syncs the song “M To the B”, she rose to fame. She has done ad campaigns for Google, Prada, and Tinder and her first single reached No. 56 on Billboard’s Pop Chart.

4. Addison Rae

$65,194 per post

87.9 Million Followers

$15 Million Net Worth

Forbes has named this TikTok celebrity one of the “30 Under 30” social media influencers for 2020. Her TikTok fame has earned her lucrative sponsorships from brands such as American Eagle and her Item Beauty line, which sells its products at Sephora. Recently she starred in a Netflix movie titled, “He’s All That” and signed a multi-film deal.

5. Will Smith

$53,741 per post

72.3 Million Followers

$300 Million Net Worth

Will Smith is a familiar face on most wealthy influencer lists. The American actor, rapper, and film producer, Will Smith, has a TikTok following of over 72 million people. He shares the same content on Instagram as he does on TikTok.

6. Kimberly Loaiza

$47,374 per post

63.9 Million Followers

$8 million in net worth

Kimberly Loaiza, a Mexican influencer. She began her YouTube influencer career in 2016 and has since grown a loyal following of 64 million on TikTok. With over 249,000,000 views on YouTube, her song “Don’t Be Jealous” topped the charts around the world.

7. TikTok

$44,469 per post

63.2 Million Followers

Value of $50 Million

It’s not surprising that the official page of the platform made it onto the list. A TikTok-sponsored post can cost up to $44,469 each with more than 63 million users.

8. Zach King

$44,225 per post

68.7 Million Followers

$3 Million worth

Zach King started posting videos to YouTube in 2008, followed by Vine in 2013. His “magic vines” are his most well-known feature. Zach King uploaded his first TikTok video back in 2016, and since then has amassed over 68.7 million followers, earning him the 8th spot for the 2022 TikTok Rich List.

9. Dixie D’Amelio

$42,567 per post

57.4 Million Followers

$10 Million worth

Dixie’s TikTok success seems intertwined with Charlie, her younger sister (number 1 on the list), who has brand deals that include Hollister and Hulu as well as Snap. She has been able to establish partnerships with big brands such as Valentino and Puma, and she has also performed alongside big stars like Ed Sheeran and the Jonas Brothers.

10. Spencer Polanco Knight

$40,934 per post

55.1 Million Followers

$6 Million worth

Spencer “X” Polanco is better known as Spencer X or the “mouth music guy”. He beatboxes on TikTok where he has more than 55 million followers. He has secured partnerships with top brands such as Sony, HBO, and Nickelodeon. He has collaborated with artists like Sean Kingston and Alicia Keys.

Can you make money creating videos on TikTok?

Not everyone makes money on TikTok but if you become popular enough, there are ways to monetize your account. TikTok influencers with millions of followers can earn serious cash from branded content, product placement, and affiliate marketing. For TikTok users looking to make some money on the side, there are a few options available. You can start by creating quality content that people will want to watch, and then look into TikTok ads and sponsorships. If you have a large following, you can also work with brands on product placement and affiliate marketing deals. Finally, if you’re able to build up a large enough fan base, you can sell merchandise featuring your TikTok username or profile picture.

Whether you’re just starting out on TikTok or you’re already an influencer with millions of followers, there are ways to make money on the platform. If you create quality content and build up a large enough following, you can start earning money from TikTok ads, sponsorships, product placement, affiliate marketing, and merchandise sales. So if you’re looking to make some extra cash, TikTok can be a great option. Just remember that it takes time and effort to build up a large following, so don’t expect overnight success.

Do you think TikTok is a good way to make money? Have you ever made any money from TikTok?